Sash-balance



W. J. THOMPSON.

\ n SASH BALANCE. No. 347,396. A Patented Aug. 17, 1886.

UNITED y STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NILLIAM JOSEPH THOMPSON, OF Sl". PAUL, MINNESOTA.

sAsH-BALANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 347,396, dated August 17, 1886.

Application filed April 13, 1886.

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be' it known that l, VILLIAM JOSEPH THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented an lmproved Sasl1-Balance; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specication.

My invention belongs to the class of counter-balances in which one sash balances the other and weights are dispensed with; and my invention consists in the improvements hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front side view of the upper sash of a window constructed for receiving my irnproved sash-balance; Fig. 2, a rear side view of the lower window-sash constructed for receiving my improved sash-balance; Fig. 3, a vertical section through the top and bottom of awindow-frame, through the two sashes near their side edges at the side of the window, through the window-strips forming the sashruns, and showing my improved sash-balance in place; Fig. 4, a View ofv a cord-fastening device sometimes used with the sash-balance; Fig. 5, a detail view of the sash-cord pulley used.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the gures.

ln the drawings, A represents the upper sash, B the lower sash, and C one of the jambs of a window-frame provided with my improved sash-balance. The single sash-cord D at each side of the window is applied at one end to the upper sash, A, as near as practicable -to the lower edge thereof,l and is fastened to the lower or meeting rail, a, of the sash, and at the other end the cord is applied to the lower sash, B, as near the lower edge thereof as practicable, being also secured to the lower rail, b, of the same. The inner edge of the upper sash, Fig. l, at each side is rabbeted or grooved at c from the lower rail, where the balance-cord is attached, up nearly to the upper edge of the sash; but there may be a little distance at the upper edgelwhere it is not rabloeted or grooved, in order to conceal the cord from view when one is looking down upon Serial No. 198,698. (No model.)

the upper edge of the sash. In like manner the outer edge of the lower sash, Fig. 2, is rabbeted or grooved at d from its lower rail, 'where the balance-cord is attached, up nearlyY to the upper edge of the sash. These rabbets or grooves are close to the side edges of the sashes, so that they and the sash-cords located in them shall be concealed from view by the parting-strips fbetween the sashes, thereby not disfiguring the window in theleast by the appearance of the balance-cords or of their pulleys and pulley-plates, as is the case with the cords, pulleys, and ypulley-plates of weight sash-balances.

The sash-cords run, respectively, over two small pulley-sheaves, g h, mounted on pulleyplates t', which are screwed to the windowjamb C, reaching into both sash-runs through Inortises or apertures cut through the partingstrips, as shown in Fig. 3. The location of each pulley E is below the upper edges of both sashes when each is lowered tothe bottom of its run. In fact, the pulleys are placed as low as practicable, in order to conceal them from view,below the upper edges ofthe sashes. The rear sheaves, g, for suspending the upper sash, are a little higher than the front sheaves, h, for suspending the lower sash. This enables the front sheaves to be placed a little lower than they otherwise could be placed, so as to more effectually conceal them from view, and this arrangement fulfills au additional pur- 13.05-,

The partingstrips f are each divided in two parts just at the point where the pulley E is located, the upper part being fixed and the lower part being removable. This enables the upper sash to be very readily removed for setting glass in it or other purposes, and again as readily replaced.

By the construction shown and set forth, in Y taking out the sashes, first the inner strips, k, which complete the runs for the lower sash, are removed, as usual. Then, after ypropping up upper edge has passed under the rear pulleys, g, arranged high enough for the purpose, can be withdrawn under the front pulleys, lz. rlhe sash-cords are thus completelydrawn from the pulleys and allowed to remain attached to the upper sash. On returning` the sashes to the window-frame, the manipulations above specified in order are reversed. None of the difficulties and troubles experienced in taking sashes from windows provided with balanceweights are here encountered.

Each pulley E has a guide bar or strip, Z, outside of its sheaves, to furnish bearings for the pivots of the sheaves, and guides to prevent the cords from running ott' from the sheaves.

Although ordinary hemp or cotton sashcords may be used in this improved sash-balance, I prefer and intend to use wire cords,`

both because they will not stretch and disarrange the proper relative positions of the sashes and because they may be much smaller, thus enabling much thinner pulley-sheaves to be used, snbserviug` both economy and completeness of concealment. Any ordinary means of attaching,` the ends of the cords to the sashes may be employed-ms, for instance, by knots in the ends of the cords sunk in holes in the sash as shown in Fig. 3; but for the purpose of adjustment, especially when fibrous cords are used, to provide for stretching` of the same, a device as shown iu Fig. 4 may be used. It is a metallic holder, G, attached to the sash, having a hole to receive the cord, and a hoiding-screw, m, to screw tightly against the end of the cord, as shown. On loosening` the screw the cord can be shortened up or lengthened out, and then the screw again be tightened against the cord.

Ordinarily the lower sash is a little heavier than the upper sash, because the lower rail of the lower sash is made somewhat wider than the upper rail of the upper sash, and the two meeting-rails are usually of the same width; but it is best to have the lower sash a little heavier than the upper, so that it will be sure to hold both sashes closed. The ordinary frietion ot' the sashes in their runs compensates for this difference of weight of the sashes, and holds both sullicieutly balanced at any height.

Itis ol' course obvious that such a sash-counterbalance is much cheaper than a weight sashbalance, in that the cost of the weights is dispensed with, as also half o1" the lengt-h of cord and half of the suspending-pulleys.

I claim as my invention-- rIlle combination ot' the upper and lower sashes of a. window, connecting sash-cords attached each to both sashes nea r the lower edges and located .near the side edges thereof, and pulley-plates attached to the window-jambs below the upper edges of the lowered sashes and reaching through the partingstrips between the sashes, each pulley-plate having two sheaves reaching, respectively, into the two saslrrnns on each side ofthe window, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

f In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribingr witnesses.

XVitnesses:

LoUis Fliesen, Jr., M. H. ALBIN. 

